Improvement in



C C. BOTEN. Addressing-Machine.

No. 206,303. Patented july-23,18%.,

`this specification.

UNITED Para) NT CHARLES @.DOTEN, OFPLVYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT iN.ADDREssiNo-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 206,303-, dated July Q3,- 1878; application filed Janel, 1877.

To att whom; zt may concern:

Be it known that LCHARLns C. BOTEN, of Plymouth, county of Plymouth, and State 40f Massachusetts,have-invented certain new Atlie'fee'd, ffong'A operating the knife, and for holding-.the roll-6i' addresses in thel machine.

V"llheback of the strip of paper is wetted by water from a cup -or small reservoir carried on the machine, which-water is supplied by capi illary attraction through a small fibrous .connection or wick. @The feed is effected .by a

slight movement of'- the machine upon thes'ur face of thegpap'er, on which it is pressed. The knife is raised lip-against the pressure of the finger', and also pressed against the stationary knife, so as to cnt shearwise byone and the samespring-; The chamber holding vthestrip serves as a holder or handle for the machine. i The following isv a description-'of WhatI consider the best means of carrying. out the iii-'- vention. v

`The accompanying drawingsforin a part of I Figure l is a generll plan' view; Fig'. 2is a side elevati0n,.partly in" section, the section being on the line S S in Fig. 1^. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a portion on a larger scale. This section is on the line T T in Fig.'1. Figs.

4, 5, and 6 are vdetails on a still larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line V V in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a vert-ical section on the line XV W in Fig. 4, showing the lower roll and the spring-wires which aid in operatin g it. Figs. 4 and 5 show the roll in the position which it assumes when the machine is idle. Fig. 6 is a vertical section corresponding to Fig. 5, but showing the parts in the position which they assume when the machine is pressed down upon a pile of paper vand moved forward to feed a proper quantity of paper to the knife.

Similar letters of reference indicatelike parts in all the figures.

' A is the body, which may be mainly of sheet metal, the several parts .being designated Al A, Snc., when necessary. AI is a steel knife, wliichlwilldesignate asthestationaryknife77 B is the moving knife, pivoted to A1 at a. G is a spring of steelor hard brass, riveted or otherwise secured to the body-A, and being curved around and attached tothe knife B Aat the point b, so as to exert aconstantforee, tending to raise the knife B. It is formed of flat :meta-l, and I attach much importance to the fact thatit is twisted so as toinduceaeonstantpressnre not only upward, but laterally against the knife A1. Its elfeet is to keep the edges ofC, B, and Al in close contact as the ont is produced sliearwise across frei one side tothe other. The paper strip m is'introdueed in the machine in a coiled eonditi0n,being thrust in from the right-hand side, with the main body of the coil in the space or chamberinclosed by the large bend A2, with the iirst end or upper end of the strip, extending to the shears, being passed bc-l tween rollersDl D2. The ends of the axis of one of these rollers are heldin vertical slots f, formed in the partitions A3 A, whiletlie axis of the other roller is held permanently in bearings by said partitions. 'lhe axis of the lower roller is pressed downward by alight spring, d, at each end, `which spring-action keeps the rollers separated until brought into contact for the purpose of feeding.

The partitions A3 A4 form' walls or guides, which control the position of the strip m late erally. lThey also form bearings for the rollers D1 D?. rlhe partition A3 is extended to 'abut against the coiled portion A2 of the c'ase or frame. It is soldcredthercto, and the parts thus aid to support each other. 'p

The right-hand partition A4 terminates a little distance from the coil A2. The space ai* between facilitates the introduction ot the paper slip.

A5 is a cup or small water-vessel, which contains a quantity ot' wicking, E, an end of which is extended out and across under the slip lof paper on, so as to wet the .gum on the back thereof immediately before it passes to the knife-edge. The natural eiect ofthe supply of water throughl this wick is to keep the wetting portion thereof, or that portion whichfi tinten.

2 annees 'the edge ofthe cup A5 can affect the action,

either to increase or diminish the moisture of the wick. v

Gr is a slight spring, which presses upon y the ext-ended wick E and holds it in position on the knife Al, and near the cutting-edge thereof., The other end of the wick may be held by a corresponding spring, as shown; or it may be secured by being drawn tightly under any convenient fastening-piece at this point.

H is a holder or presser, which rests lightly on the upper or face side of the paper slip m, and serves to hold it down. There is a tendency in wett-ing to curl up the paper under some conditions. This presser, turning on the centers of bent ends h, presses down with suiicient force Vto resist this tendency. It keeps the paper pressing gently on the wick to secure wetting. l

The turning of thel rollers CD1 D2 performs` the important function of feeding forward the slip m. It is eli'eeted by the pressing of the machine upon thc pile of newspapers and giving the machine a slight ibrward motion. To accomplish this the lower roller, Dl, is allowed to sink partly through the body A, there being a considerable rectangular hole made in the latter to allowtliis, and a spring, d, at each end pressiiig'it down.

In pressing the machine on a pile of paper, the lower roller, D', is put in strong contact with the upper surface of the pile, and, rising in the slot which holds its axis, compresses the slip m between itself and the upper roll, D?. New, by moving the mach-ine forward while the parts are in this condition, the roll D1 is `turned in the direction to feed the slip m forward, anildiiiicliiiig the slip m between itselt'and the upper roll, D2, both rollers move.

L is a spring, with a wide wedge atits extremity, over which the label-strip m passes, the strip 'being pressed by the spring against the upper roll, D?. This spring acts as tension at all times, and as a pawl to prevent the label-strip m from drawing back, as is its tendency, after each cut. i

I will iirst describe the operation as worked without the additional parts, to be described farther on.

The previously printed and guinmed strip m is introduced in the position represented,

it to the uppermost newspaper. On lifting Vthe machine slightly the newspaper just treated may be removed by the other hand of the operator, or by an assistant, and the 4operation may be 'repeated on the' newspaper next below, and so on indefinitely. t

The feed is due tothe partial turningof the rolls Dl D2, holding the strip of paper m bctweeii them. The turning motion is induced by the friction of the lower roll, D1, upon the pile of paper below as the machine is moved a little forward with those parts in contact.` I

The feed thus obtained may be graduated each moment, as required. The printed face of the strips is presented uppermost, and a little practice gives the operator great facility in feeding forward just* enough at each move ment. Ifrhe sees that he is not cutting exactly in the central space between the several addresses, 'but is feeding forward too fast, he` gives less forward motion with the few sueceeding descents of the machine.A he is not feeding fast enough, he gives more. The paper, by its resistance to the sliding of the roller thereon, performs a passive but vitally important part in the feeding forward of the kslips of printed addresses n1. lf term the resistance thus afforded by the pile of paper a fulcruinj It serves as afulcruni or abutment, which enables the force applied by the hand to move the machine forwardon the pile to become effective in feeding out the Strip m to any required extent at will.

My invention, by presenting the roller Dl in the manner shown, to be turned to varying extents at` cach operation, according as the machine 1s thrust forward more or less, gives perfect control of the amount of feed, allowing l it tobe increased or diminished at will without trouble.

If preferred, the operator may set the ina-l chine to a certain gage by the means described below, and useit in'that condition. changing the feed back to a variable' one at any inoinciit.

I will now describe the gaging means, which may thus be used -at will.

l is a spring, its point being bent at right angles, and which may at will be held'id1e,or may be allowed to pass through the right hand partition A4, and to play up and down in a short slot in said partition, tending gently upward. The length of the slot may be gradiiated by a piece of wire across it, (sce Figs. 4, 5, and 6,) which wire may be bent slightly up or down by a suitable tool, to correspondingly increase or diminish the proportion oi' the turning motion, which is eifected paper is `seized. After extending through this slot in the partition A4 the point of the spring l enters a radial slot in the end ofthe lower roller,l)., its effect being to strike the bottom of the slot in the partition A4, and thus to limit each forward movement of the roller, and to canse the rolller, on being rc after the leased from the friction of contact with the pile o f papers, to return at once by a partial It' lic finds backward rotation to its former position. The design ot' this limitation is to cause the labelstrip to be fed out at each motion of the machine a certain space only. A removal of the spring P from this position instantaneously frees the roller, and allows it to feeda greater orless degree, varied at the pleasure and judgment -of the operator. The spring l?, when tl'iu's i'dle, may rest with its bent end simplyT pressing against the outer face of the partition A4.

Various modifications may be made in many ofthe details. I prefer stout tinned iron for the material of the bod y; but various other ma! opposite sides of the slip m. Such an arrangement might attain a more even distribution of the water upon the slip; but I have not found any suoli refinement necessary. I prefer the simple form of the apparatus represented. The lower roller may be iliade of any material,

roughened to produce friction with the pile of papers.

Some parts 0f the invention may be useful without the others. I can, for example, use the knife, with its spring exerting a lateral as well as a vertical pressure, in combination with other means of wetting-as, for example, the wetting of the slip by carrying it between rollers, the lowcrmost of which rims in water, and is roughened or perforated to allow it to bring up snfiieicnt quantities. I have in sonic experiments used the knife in combination with a reciprocating friction-feed, which-earried the paper along, after it had been wet, bctween rolls, as above stated.

Instead of water, a thin solution of glue, gum, inucilage, paste or the like, may be used.

I claim as an improvement in addressingniachin'esl. In combination with a receptacle-fer conformer projecting below the bodyA, as herein specified..

3. The wick E and reservoir A5, for supplying fluid thereto for moistening a previouslyprepared slip, m, in combination with the entter and presserB and stationary cutter A1, for shearing off and pressing portions of said slip, as herein specified.

4. The wick holder or presser G and paperpresser H,in combination with the wick 'E and its water-supplyin g means, and with a cutting` device, A B, and feeding means D1 D2, as and for tlie purposes herein specified.

5. In an addressing-machine having a cutter,B, and suitable mechanism for wetting and feeding forward a previously-guinmed slip, fm, of paper containing addresses, the guides A" A4, in combination with the bend or case A2, having a space, a", between to facilitate the introduction of thepaper, as herein specified.

6. rIhe combination of the pivoted knife Il, stationary knife A1, and sin gletwisted iiat spring C with the easing A2, guides A3 A4, and suitable feeding and wetting means l)l)2 E, as herein specified.

7. The roll D, having a radial slot, in coin bination with the spring I and with the roll D2, knives A1 B, and body or frame of an addressing-machine, all arranged to operate slibstantially as herein -set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myP liand this 14th day ot May, 1877, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

(MIAS. C. BOTEN.

Witnesses:

\V. XV. AVERY, .TouN C. GAVE. 

